Saguaro Diptych:5 16-4
| Artist | Mark Klett (American, b. 1952) |
|---|---|
| Title | Saguaro Diptych:5 16-4 |
| Date | 2016 |
| Medium | Photogravure |
| Dimensions | Image: 15 7/16 × 11 15/16 in. (39.2 × 30.3 cm) Sheet: 16 7/16 × 13 in. (41.8 × 33 cm) Mount: 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm) Framed: 29 1/8 × 23 1/8 × 1 in. (74 × 58.7 × 2.5 cm) |
| Credit Line | Museum purchase with funds from the Clarence W. and Mildred Long Art Purchase Fund, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 2018.4B |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
This black-and-white image with warm tones depicts a tall cactus in a desert. The cactus has three arms pointing to the left.
Mark Klett gained notoriety in the 1980s for his rephotographic survey project that documented changes to the western landscapes first shot by nineteenth-century photographers. In this diptych (our first work by Klett in the collection), Klett continues his fascination with the American Southwest. Using photogravure, crinkled paper, and dual panes associated with old stereoscopic views, he gives the work a patina of history, while emphasizing a modern formalism. Although devoid of people, the humorous gestures of the cacti’s “arms” suggest a humanlike presence. However, the fate of such saguaros—which can take a century to grow this tall—is no laughing matter due to the threat of climate change and urbanization in the Sonoran Desert.
| Publisher | Segura Arts Studio |
|---|
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Saguaro Diptych:5 16-4 | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=2018.4B